A principal object of the invention is to provide a simplified system for collecting solar energy in the most economical manner compatible with efficiency, durability, compactness, and lightness of weight minimizing roof stresses on installation.
Today as never before in the history of the civilized world energy must be conserved for the present and future generations or else living according to the standards we have known may disappear and all people suffer real hardships over the spans of their lives. It has been estimated that the entire supply of oil conventionally available in the world will have been exhausted in twenty to thirty years.
Home and office and factory space and water heating consume far more energy than will be allotted for these purposes in the future, and it is questionable whether the predictable deficiency in supply can be made up in increased burner nozzle efficiency or in vastly better insulation. What is needed is a clean primary source of domestic and commercial heat which is economical, lightweight and compact.
In the prior art various disclosures have been made to further use of solar energy including those in the following U.S. Patents:
No. 3,490,396 granted to H. C. Kelly, Jr. on Jan. 20, 1979, shows a concept of coaxial members with reflector in a solar energy system;
No. 4,051,834 granted to J. C. Fletcher, NASA, on Oct. 4, 1977, shows the use of an inner conduit, and outer cylindrical transparent covering with reflector conforming to it.
No. 4,150,662 granted to V. R. Summers on Apr. 24, 1979, shows a solar collector with dual concentric walls and separate reflector;
No. 4,094,299 granted to P. Voelker on June 13, 1978, shows the concept of a plurality of transparent concentric cylinders around a central collector area, and a reflecting surface;
No. 4,186,724 granted to D. H. Nelson, Feb. 5, 1980, shows another form of solar collector with dual concentric walls and separate reflector.
Further objects are to provide a system as described which is easily adapted to various sizes, which is double insulated against conductive and convective heat losses, which is easy to assemble and requires minimum labor to make and to assemble, which can be assembled in the field, which is flexible in application, and which is easy to rotate to follow the path of the sun.